In general, a zipper is a fastener having two rows of metal or plastic meshing elements, often called “coils” or “teeth.” Each row of teeth is mounted on a strip of fabric, called a “stringer.” The two stringers together form the “zipper tape.” A sliding piece, called a “slider” or “slide” closes an opening by drawing the rows of teeth together and meshing them into a connected structure.
A zipper slide typically includes a throat at the front of the slide. The throat receives the two open (i.e., not attached) rows of teeth. Channels within the slide direct the two rows together where they are joined, connected, and closed. A mouth at the rear portion of the slide fits around the adjacent closed rows of teeth.
One problem encountered with zippers is that often fabric or another item may be positioned where it is in the way of movement of the slide, and may eventually be caught between the slide and the teeth, or between the two rows of teeth. As such, the slide may become snagged or the teeth may be improperly separated.
Guards that mount on zipper slides have been developed for the purpose of minimizing snags between the zipper slide, zipper teeth, and surrounding fabric material. The guards attach to the slide, and are designed to block objects from entering the throat of the slide. Although these zipper guards often work well for their intended purpose, their structure can be somewhat complicated and the guards can be difficult to mount on the zipper slides.